TitleAuthorizing the City Attorney's Office to pursue an available funding opportunity offered by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs.

BodyWHEREAS, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs (OJP) has released a request for proposals for the Crime Victim Services 2020-2021 Renewal Grants, for grantees, including the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office, who are current recipients of the Crime Victim Services grant, and

WHEREAS, the City Attorney’s Offices’ current OJP Crime Victim Services grant if for the period of October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2019 and the deadline for renewal applications under this request for proposals is May 17, 2019, and

WHEREAS, the Office of Justice Programs goals include ensuring crime victims’ rights are upheld, increasing victims’ safety, and ensuring that victims’ services are relevant to the population that exists within the community, and

WHEREAS, the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office is eligible to apply for $279,534 to provide crime victim services during the 24-month period of October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2021, with $209,654 in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding, $52,414 required in VOCA match, and $69,880 in state funding, and

WHEREAS, the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division relies heavily on the work of our Victim/Witness Coordinator to provide services to crime victims and uphold statutory mandates in Minn. Stat. 611A (Crime Victims’ Rights) and the Victim Outreach Coordinator to ensure that victims from underserved communities are able to access these services, and

WHEREAS, we recognize that crime victim services offered by the City Attorney’s Office benefit the citizens of the City of St. Paul, and

WHEREAS, the St. Paul City Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division wishes to pursue the available funding opportunity and the renewal grant application in an effort to save one current Victim Witness Coordinator position and o...